Pay cuts for elected officials Friday

A bill to roll back raises for the governor, lieutenant governor and senators returned to the Legislature for a veto override on May 23.
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Senators of the Guam Legislature listen to testimony from residents, during a public hearing on a bill allowing the government to borrow money to pay taypayer refunds, at the GUam Congress Building in Hagåtña on Friday, May 5, 2017.(Photo: Rick Cruz/PDN)

The Legislature’s Executive Director Jermaine Alerta said pay cuts for elected officials will take effect June 2.

He said the pay period of May 29 to June 9 will be affected by the pay cuts.

The annual salary for the speaker will be $24,150 less per year, and the salaries for other senators will be $29,697 less, he said.

The governor's office has said the Legislature needs to clarify when a new law, cutting the salaries of senators, the governor and lieutenant governor, takes effect so appropriate changes can be made to the governor and lieutenant governor’s pay.

The Legislature voted on May 23 to override the governor's veto of Bill 4-34, which repeals the controversial pay raises elected leaders gave themselves in November 2014.

The enactment of the measure means senators’ annual salaries will drop from $85,000 to roughly $55,000, except for Speaker Benjamin Cruz's income, which will drop to nearly $61,000. Calvo will go back to making $90,000 instead of $130,000Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio’s salary will drop from $110,000 to $85,000.

The Legislature's decision in 2014 to give retroactive pay raises to themselves and other elected officials drew strong public opposition, with many questioning the timing — shortly after the General Election that year. Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo has introduced an amendment to the island's Organic Act that would prohibit sitting elected officials from giving themselves raises. It calls for election to happen before new salaries can take effect.

Gov. Eddie Calvo has said the passage of the bill creates a lopsided government, where salaries at the autonomous agencies and judiciary are misaligned with the rest of the government.

Calvo and Tenorio will draw a smaller salary than some of their subordinates at Adelup, as will lawmakers.